Trigger Actuated Light Emitting Apparatus

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a trigger actuated light emitting device. The light emitting apparatus is preferably mounted to a weapon such as a handgun, carbine, or rifle. The light may be a “flashlight” type light or a focused laser light, or a combination thereof The light is preferably actuated by either the pulling or actuating of a first stage of a multi-stage trigger, or by the pulling or actuating of a first blade of a multi-blade trigger.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This US nonprovisional utility patent application claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119(e) of U.S. provisional application No. 62/366,018 filed Jul. 23, 2016 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to light and or laser emitting weapons, and more especially to handheld weapons such as handguns, carbines, and rifles having actuatable lighting devices for use in improving visibility in low light conditions and/or having actuatable laser targeting devices for use in accurately aiming a weapon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various trigger devices for weapons, and various light and laser emitting devices mounted to or provided in combination with a weapon are known in the art. Such prior art devices have suffered from the requirement of actuating an auxiliary switch to activate the light, thus imposing significant dexterity requirements on the user and potentially prematurely revealing one's position, or from being actuated by a trigger but essentially simultaneously with the trigger actuating a weapon thus minimizing the ability to aim a weapon prior to firing the weapon. Examples of such devices are disclosed in the following U.S. patents and applications which are expressly incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,134 to Milazzo for “Multi-Stage Match Trigger Assembly for Semi-Auto Weapons”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,485 to Milazzo for “Multi-Stage Match Trigger Assembly for Semi-Auto Weapons”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,215 to Kotsiopoulos for “Training Weapon with Trigger Actuated Indicator Light”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,941 to Kotsiopoulos for “Training Weapon with Trigger Actuated Indicator Light”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,685,761 to Wu for “Trigger Activating Tactical Light Grip”, #2009/0084016 to Wu for “Trigger Activating Tactical Light Grip”, #2012/0085015 to Wei for “Toy Gun Having a Laser Sight”, and #2015/0267999 to Hovsepian for “Flexible Switch for Laser Gun Sight”.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a trigger actuated light emitting device. The light emitting apparatus is preferably mounted to a weapon such as a handgun, carbine, or rifle. The light may be a “flashlight” type light such as is used to broadcast light into an otherwise poorly illuminated area so as to improve visibility, or the light may be a focused laser light such as is used to accurately pinpoint or aim a weapon at an intended target, or the light may be a combination thereof. The light is preferably actuated or activated by either the pulling or actuating of a first stage of a multi-stage trigger, or by the pulling or actuating of a first blade of a multi-blade trigger.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention having a dual-blade trigger with both blades in an unactuated position, and;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the first blade in an actuated position and with the second blade in an unactuated position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are included to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, in a preferred embodiment the invention is a weapon having a light emitting device preferably defining at least one of a laser and a flashlight mounted to the weapon. The weapon further includes a dual blade trigger having a first trigger blade and a second trigger blade. The first trigger blade is connected to an electrical switch which is electrically connected to the light emitting device and to an electrical power source such as a battery. The trigger is adapted such that in an unactuated position the first trigger blade is positioned forward of the second trigger blade and such that when the first trigger blade is pulled or depressed so as to be moved to a first distance into substantially similar position (in a fore/aft direction) as the unactuated second trigger blade, the first trigger blade actuates the electrical switch which causes the light emitting device to emit light. Further, when both trigger blades are pulled or depressed so as to be moved to a second distance, the weapon is fired while the light emitting device to emits light. When the trigger blades are returned to their original, nominal, unactuated position, the light emitting device again ceases to emit light. An advantage of such trigger actuated light emitting device over prior art devices is that the disclosed trigger actuated light emitting device does not require a separate action to actuate the light emitting device. A further advantage of such trigger actuated light emitting device over prior art devices is that the disclosed trigger actuated light emitting device does not cause the light emitting device to actuate prematurely and thus reveal the weapon user's position. The disclosed trigger actuated light emitting device does not emit light unless and until the user is in a shooting ready position and yet the disclosed trigger actuated light emitting device provides for the emission of light prior to (and during) actual shooting (as opposed to actuating simultaneously with shooting).

An alternate embodiment the invention is a weapon having a light emitting device preferably defining at least one of a laser and a flashlight mounted to the weapon. The weapon further includes a dual stage trigger having a trigger blade adapted such that the trigger blade can be pulled or depressed so as to be moved to a first distance and a second distance. When the trigger blade is moved the first distance, a tactile or haptic feedback is provided in the form of a soft-stop or click such that the user can appreciate that the blade has moved the full range of motion of the first distance. After the trigger blade is moved the first distance, if the user reduces load on the trigger blade and then again increases load on the trigger blade, the trigger blade is moved a second distance. The trigger blade is connected to an electrical switch which is electrically connected to the light emitting device and to an electrical power source such as a battery. The trigger is adapted such when the trigger blade is pulled or depressed so as to be moved to the first distance, the trigger blade actuates the electrical switch which causes the light emitting device to emit light. Further, when the trigger blade is pulled or depressed so as to be moved the second distance, the weapon is fired while the light emitting device to emits light. When the trigger blade is returned to its original, nominal, unactuated position, the light emitting device again ceases to emit light. An advantage of such trigger actuated light emitting device over prior art devices is that the disclosed trigger actuated light emitting device does not require a separate action to actuate the light emitting device. A further advantage of such trigger actuated light emitting device over prior art devices is that the disclosed trigger actuated light emitting device does not cause the light emitting device to actuate prematurely and thus reveal the weapon user's position. The disclosed trigger actuated light emitting device does not emit light unless and until the user is in a shooting ready position and yet the disclosed trigger actuated light emitting device provides for the emission of light prior to (and during) actual shooting (as opposed to actuating simultaneously with shooting).

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for use in selectively activating a light emitting device comprising a weapon having a trigger, a light emitting device, a power source, and a switch, wherein said trigger defines at least one of a multi-stage trigger and a multi-blade trigger, and wherein said light emitting device and said power source are mounted to said weapon, and wherein said switch is electrically connected to said power source and said light emitting device and adapted such that when at least one of a first stage of said multi-stage trigger is actuated and a first blade of said multi-blade trigger is actuated, said light emitting device emits light.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said light emitting device defines at least one of a broadcast light emitting device and a focused laser light emitting device.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said weapon defines at least one of a handgun, a carbine, and a rifle.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is adapted such that when at least one of a second stage of said multi-stage trigger is actuated and a second blade of said multi-blade trigger is actuated, said weapon fires.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when at least one of said multi-stage trigger returns to a nominal position and a first blade of said multi-blade trigger returns to a nominal position, said light emitting device ceases to emit light. 